Info

Route

Super-quick sandy roads dart among the picturesque countryside of the Masurian Lake District holiday region in northern Poland.

Based in Mikolajki, several hours north of Warsaw, which hosts the start, finish and a super special stage next to the service park that is run three times.

After Thursday evening’s curtain-raiser in Mikolajki, Friday is unchanged from last year. It features two loops of four tests to the north-east, before a repeat of the super special stage duels - a total of 116.16km.

Saturday heads north towards the border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad for four stages that are driven twice, before a last pass over the Mikolajki super special.

Four final tests will be held on Sunday, including the new Paprotki Power Stage.

Challenge

Very fast roads will see speeds approach those of Rally Finland.

Tall grass lines many sections, limiting visibility on the approach to corners.

Quicklinks

History

First established in 1921, Rally Poland is one of the world’s oldest rallies.

It was included in the inaugural WRC season in 1973 when there were only three classified finishers. Four other crews completed the route but were excluded for being out of time.

It left the calendar and became an asphalt event in the European Championship.

It returned to WRC in 2009 when Mikko Hirvonen won, after which it was again removed.

It returned to the championship for a second time in 2014.

What’s new for 2016

Organisers have changed 33 per cent of stages since 2015 to make them safer and more attractive for competitors and fans.

Only four stages are the same as last year (Mikołajki Arena, Gołdap, Świętajno, Wieliczki), while two (Chmielewo and Stare Juchy) have featured in previous years. All others have been modified.

Don’t miss

If you are going to watch, then stay on for a few days to enjoy the lakeland area of Masuria. The area is a prime tourist destination famous for its lakes and forests and offering activities such as sailing, kayaking, swimming, angling, walking and cycling.